Canon 4000D vs Sony A5000

The Canon EOS 4000D and the Sony Alpha A5000 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively,
in February 2018 and January 2014. The 4000D is a DSLR, while the A5000 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. Both cameras are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 17.9 megapixels, whereas the Sony provides 19.8 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS 4000D and the
Sony Alpha A5000? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors,
their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Canon 4000D vs Sony A5000

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Canon 4000D and the Sony A5000. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The A5000 can be obtained in three different colors (black, silver, white), while the 4000D is
only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Sony A5000 is considerably smaller (47 percent) than the Canon 4000D. Moreover, the A5000 is substantially lighter (38 percent) than the 4000D. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the 4000D nor the A5000 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses
that both of these cameras require. Both cameras have similarly sized sensors, but DSLRs have a larger flange-to-focal plane distance than mirrorless cameras,
which imposes contraints on the optical engineering process and generally leads to bigger and heavier lenses.
You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Canon EF Lens Catalog (4000D) and the Sony E-Mount Lens Catalog (A5000). Mirrorless cameras, such as the A5000, have moreover the advantage that they can use many lenses from other systems via adapters, as they have a relatively short flange to focal plane distance.

Concerning battery life, the 4000D gets 500 shots out of its LP-E10 battery,
while the A5000 can take 420 images on a single charge of its NP-FW50 power pack. The power pack in the A5000 can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, just use the right or left
arrows in the table to switch to the respective camera. Alternatively, you can also navigate to the CAM-parator app and
make your selection from the full list of cameras there.

Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The 4000D was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 11 percent) than the A5000, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison: Canon 4000D vs Sony A5000

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors
differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the A5000 is 8 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have format factors, respectively, of 1.6 (4000D) and 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

In terms of underlying technology, both cameras are build around CMOS sensors.

With 19.8MP, the A5000 offers a higher
resolution than the 4000D (17.9MP), but the A5000 has marginally smaller individual pixels (pixel pitch of
4.25μm versus 4.31μm for the 4000D). Yet, the 4000D is a much more recent model (by 4 years and 1 month) than the A5000, and its sensor
will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units.

The Canon EOS 4000D has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 6400, which can be extended to ISO 100-12800.
The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha A5000 are ISO 100 to ISO 16000 (no boost).

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). Of the two cameras under consideration, the A5000 offers substantially better image quality than the 4000D (overall score 16 points higher). The advantage is based on 1.9 bits higher color depth, 1.6 EV in additional dynamic range, and 0.6 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

Camera Model

Sensor Class

Resolution (MP)

Horiz. Pixels

Vert. Pixels

Video Format

DXO Portrait

DXO Landscape

DXO Sports

DXO Overall

Camera Model

Canon 4000D»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

21.9

11.4

695

63

Canon 4000D

Sony A5000«

APS-C

19.8

5456

3632

1080/60i

23.8

13.0

1089

79

Sony A5000

Canon 2000D«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/30p

22.6

11.9

1009

71

Canon 2000D

Canon 200D«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

23.6

13.4

1041

79

Canon 200D

Canon G9 X Mark II«»

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

1080/60p

21.9

12.5

522

65

Canon G9 X Mark II

Canon 1300D«»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

-

-

-

-

Canon 1300D

Canon M10«»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

22.2

11.4

753

65

Canon M10

Canon 1200D«»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

21.9

11.3

724

63

Canon 1200D

Canon 100D«»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

21.8

11.3

843

63

Canon 100D

Canon 700D«»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

21.7

11.2

681

61

Canon 700D

Canon 1100D«»

APS-C

12.2

4272

2848

720/30p

21.9

11.0

755

62

Canon 1100D

Canon 550D«»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

22.1

11.5

784

66

Canon 550D

Canon 500D«»

APS-C

15.1

4752

3168

1080/20p

21.7

11.5

663

63

Canon 500D

Nikon D3300«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

24.3

12.8

1385

82

Nikon D3300

Sony RX100 IV«»

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

4K/30p

22.8

12.6

591

70

Sony RX100 IV

Sony A5100«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

23.8

12.7

1347

80

Sony A5100

Sony NEX-3N«»

APS-C

16.0

4912

3264

1080/60i

22.8

12.5

1067

74

Sony NEX-3N

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the A5000 provides a faster frame rate than the 4000D. It can shoot movie footage at 1080/60i, while the Canon is limited to 1080/30p.

Feature comparison: Canon 4000D vs Sony A5000

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the 4000D has an optical viewfinder, which can be very useful when shooting in bright sunlight.
In contrast, the A5000 relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon 4000D and Sony A5000 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

Camera Model

Viewfinder (Type or '000 dots)

Control Panel (yes/no)

LCD Size (inch)

LCD Resolution ('000 dots)

LCD Attach- ment

Touch Screen (yes/no)

Mech Shutter Speed

Shutter Flaps (1/sec)

Built-in Flash (yes/no)

Built-in Image Stab

Camera Model

Canon 4000D»

optical

n

2.7

230

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Canon 4000D

Sony A5000«

-

n

3.0

461

tilting

n

1/4000s

3.5

Y

n

Sony A5000

Canon 2000D«»

optical

n

3.0

920

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Canon 2000D

Canon 200D«»

optical

n

3.0

1040

swivel

Y

1/4000s

5.0

Y

n

Canon 200D

Canon G9 X Mark II«»

-

n

3.0

1040

fixed

Y

1/2000s

8.2

Y

Y

Canon G9 X Mark II

Canon 1300D«»

optical

n

3.0

920

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Canon 1300D

Canon M10«»

-

n

3.0

1040

tilting

Y

1/4000s

4.6

Y

n

Canon M10

Canon 1200D«»

optical

n

3.0

460

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Canon 1200D

Canon 100D«»

optical

n

3.0

1040

fixed

Y

1/4000s

4.9

Y

n

Canon 100D

Canon 700D«»

optical

n

3.0

1040

swivel

Y

1/4000s

5.0

Y

n

Canon 700D

Canon 1100D«»

optical

n

2.7

230

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Canon 1100D

Canon 550D«»

optical

n

3.0

1040

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.7

Y

n

Canon 550D

Canon 500D«»

optical

n

3.0

920

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.4

Y

n

Canon 500D

Nikon D3300«»

optical

n

3.0

921

fixed

n

1/4000s

5.0

Y

n

Nikon D3300

Sony RX100 IV«»

2359

n

3.0

1228

tilting

n

1/2000s

16.0

Y

Y

Sony RX100 IV

Sony A5100«»

-

n

3.0

922

tilting

Y

1/4000s

6.0

Y

n

Sony A5100

Sony NEX-3N«»

-

n

3.0

460

tilting

n

1/4000s

4.0

Y

n

Sony NEX-3N

The A5000 has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by
vloggers and photographers who are interested in taking selfies. In contrast, the 4000D does not have a selfie-screen.

The 4000D writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the A5000 uses SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. The A5000 supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the 4000D cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.

Connectivity comparison: Canon 4000D vs Sony A5000

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS 4000D and Sony Alpha A5000 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

Camera Model

Hotshoe Port

Internal Microphone

Internal Speaker

Microphone Port

Headphone Port

HDMI Port

USB Type

WiFi Support

NFC Support

Bluetooth Support

Camera Model

Canon 4000D»

Y

mono

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Canon 4000D

Sony A5000«

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony A5000

Canon 2000D«»

Y

mono

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Canon 2000D

Canon 200D«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

Y

Canon 200D

Canon G9 X Mark II«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

Y

Canon G9 X Mark II

Canon 1300D«»

Y

mono

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Canon 1300D

Canon M10«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Canon M10

Canon 1200D«»

Y

mono

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 1200D

Canon 100D«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 100D

Canon 700D«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 700D

Canon 1100D«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 1100D

Canon 550D«»

Y

stereo

-

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 550D

Canon 500D«»

Y

mono

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 500D

Nikon D3300«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Nikon D3300

Sony RX100 IV«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony RX100 IV

Sony A5100«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony A5100

Sony NEX-3N«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

-

-

-

Sony NEX-3N

It is notable that the 4000D has a hotshoe, while the A5000 does not. This socket makes it possible to easily
attach optional accessories, such as an external flash gun.

The 4000D is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Canon.
In contrast, the A5000 has been discontinued (but it can be found pre-owned on eBay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the A5000 was succeeded by the Sony A5100. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official
Canon and Sony websites.

Review summary: Canon 4000D vs Sony A5000

So how do things add up? Is there a clear favorite between the Canon 4000D and the Sony A5000? Which camera is better? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Advantages of the Canon EOS 4000D:

Easier framing: Has an optical viewfinder for image framing and settings control.

Longer lasting: Can take more shots (500 versus 420) on a single battery charge.

Better lighting: Features a hotshoe and can thus hold and trigger an external flash gun.

More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced segment (11 percent cheaper at launch).

More modern: Reflects 4 years and 1 month of technical progress since the A5000 launch.

Arguments in favor of the Sony Alpha A5000:

More detail: Has more megapixels (19.8 vs 17.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 5%.

More compact: Is smaller (110x63mm vs 129x102mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.

Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 167g or 38 percent) and is thus easier to take along.

Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.

More legacy lens friendly: Can use many non-native lenses via adapters.

Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-I standard.

More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in January 2014).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the A5000 is the clear winner of the contest (16 : 5 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges
from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera
is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the 4000D and the A5000 in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews: Canon 4000D vs Sony A5000

This is where reviews by experts come in. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, and photographyblog). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge,
reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.